Amazon plans to test biometrically enabled palm-scanning payments for its Whole Foods organic grocery chain at its Seattle shops at the end of April. According to the news agency Reuters, this technology is already in use in the retail giant's "Go" shops. The programme runs under the name "Amazon One".
The method of contactless payment works by linking the deposited credit card with biometric details of the palm. The items still have to be scanned at the checkout, and only then does the payment process follow by means of a scan of the palm. In this way, Amazon is also defending itself against accusations of job losses at the checkout. The contactless payment method will initially be tested in a branch not far from the company's headquarters in Seattle and will be extended to other branches in the city in the coming months.
Organic grocery chain Whole Foods, which Amazon acquired in 2017, operates nearly 500 shops in the US, most of which are in California. Additional locations are operated in Canada. In Europe, the chain is currently only represented in London. sw
